The Bond Agenda
by Andysaurus
Summary: This story is based on an alternative key decision. It assumes that after Sullivan discovers the FBI file and phones Billy, Billy never dares to phone Sullivan back This plot would also apply if Sullivan never phoned Billy because he did not find the FBI file in Queenan's office. If anyone knows of a better method of phone tapping instead of copying the sim cards please let me know
1. Chapter 1

Billy was scared. Not only had Queenen been killed by the gang, but someone had tried to contact him; that was to be done only in the most dire emergency since it could expose Billy. Anyone could be using the phone, maybe one of the gang had grabbed it before they threw Queenen over the edge ... or maybe the mole had got it. There was no way to tell.

Deciding not to answer, Billy grabbed his gear and prepared to make a run for it in case he had been tailed in some way. Once in his car and with no sign of danger, Billy decided to reconsider. Billy drove to a safe location closer to Costello's bar and tried to phone again There was no answer. Surely if Dignam had used the phone, he would have held on to it. This was suspicious. Billy deactivated the phone and went to join the gang. Billy found that Queenan's death appeared to have relaxed Costello. Obviously Costello knew that "Billy" was no longer able to warn the cops, so they did the next drugs pickup as normal.

The next day Billy tried to phone again from the park. Billy phoned several times without success, then suddenly there was a reply. The voice was not Dignam's.

Billy said "This is a dead man's phone, who the hell are you".

"Detective Evans, who are you?"

Pausing to consider, Billy replied "Someone in trouble, where the hell is Dignam".

The cop hadn't got a clue what Billy was on about and went to enquire.

Eventually the cop replied "Sergeant Dignam is off on two weeks sick leave".

"Shit". So who had tried to phone Billy? Billy continued "Spread the word, Queenan was tailed to the meeting with me and then Costello was told where we were. They killed Queenan because they couldn't find me. Costello will find and kill me soon". Billy broke the connection, not certain if he was dealing with an honest cop, or if the call could somehow be traced if Costello had the phone. For now Billy risked leaving the phone live.

Sometime later that morning, Billy was phoned again by an arrogant cop who said that he was Captain Ellerby. Ellerby wanted to know what had happened, but did not give Billy any reason to think that he was a real cop. Billy soon became fed up with having to repeat himself, and was worried by both the time spent and the lack of surety offered; Ellerby treated Billy as a crook and just wanted to ask questions. So Billy said "You could be anyone, even the mole, I only trust Dignam". Billy broke the connection and switched of the phone. Billy would have to wait for Dignam to return, not that Billy trusted Dignam either; Billy had never forgotten Dignam's threat to erase his records, or the way that he had treated Billy as disposable garbage.

A few days later things took a turn for the worst. The gang continued to be skittish and Delahunt's tarring by the cops had not been convincing. Some people pressured Queenan about the danger. Annoyed, Costello said that a contact in the police would soon uncover the rat. Both intrigued and worried, Billy asked how that could be done. Costello replied that some police files were being searched; it should not take long.

What file's? Queenan's undercover files? Unlikely, as they could be accessed only by a Captain and possibly trusted assistants so Billy should already be dead unless the search had yet to begin. The Personnel files? That didn't make sense unless the mole already knew Billy's name. Then Billy remembered the letter. Billy tried to remember the data entry procedure - did it need a password, no. The database would only ask for the password if the person existed on the basis of the information that Billy had supplied Costello.

Billy silently sweated out the next drugs pickup and then went straight home. The mole could contact Costello anytime. Billy grabbed his meds, some biscuits, orange juice and other stuff that he might need, made sure that the house was secure and then returned to his car. Driving near to the park amenities, Billy slept in the car as best he could.

In the morning Billy had "breakfast" and drove into the central district. Once there Billy secured his car and then, with his hood up, walked warily to the SIU building. Once inside Billy headed to reception.


	2. Chapter 2

It all took quite some time. Unwilling to give his name, Billy had to explain to a receptionist and then to a Desk Sergeant that he was an undercover cop who worked directly for Captain Queenan and that his cover was about to be blown by Costello's mole. For good measure Billy added that the mole might have tried to use Queenan's phone to contact Billy and set a trap, so Billy did not want to be interviewed by any one person.

The Desk Sergeant contacted a Staff Sergeant and Billy had to repeat everything. The Staff Sergeant then wanted Billy to explain about Queenan's death. Next the Staff Sergeant wanted proof of Billy's identity. That was going a problem since Queenan's files were locked away. However, Billy directed them to the Personnel Database, and got his file opened. The Staff Sergeant examined Billy's file for some time. Impatient, Billy demanded that he receive his back pay and have his identity restored so that he could go into hiding out of the area and find work. The Staff Sergeant replied that this was not that simple and involved issues above his pay grade; he referred Billy to another Staff Sergeant who worked closer to Queenan and Dignam.

This Staff Sergeant proved extremely demanding and even unpleasant, initially. Eventually he calmed down and refused to "release" Billy, reinstating him and ordering him to see a shrink and then take a sick leave holiday out of town. Because Billy had lost his bonus and could not return home, his reasonable accommodation and special expenses might be paid by the SIU. Billy would have to see Ellerby about that. For now home would consist of motel or hotel rooms.

Once debriefing and reinstatement were complete, Billy got a good meal in the cafeteria and left the SIU, unwilling to endure the strain of seeing Ellerby. Watching his back, Billy headed to see the police shrink. Really Billy ought to have been automatically assigned a Minder. This showed how inadequate the SIU were, and how broken it's internal organisation had become by Queenan's death and Dignam's absence. As a result, Captain Ellerby, who was also feeling the strain, was not notified of Billy's reinstatement by any means, official notification or word of mouth.

However, eventually Sullivan did hear from various confidants about what had happened and felt relief, the rat having been scared out of Costello's pack. Sullivan phoned Costello with the good news. However, Costello, in a rage, wanted revenge. Sullivan prevaricated as he did not want to take unnecessary risks; if he put a tail on Billy and it failed to protect Billy, people might put two and two together. There were already ugly whispers about Queenan's death coming from some of Sullivan's more intelligent rivals. And anyway, Billy had been told to leave town.


	3. Chapter 3

Once Billy's shrink realised that he had been an undercover cop, the questioning became far more direct. Eventually the shrink told Billy that the diagnosis had been flawed and that he should try to come off his sleep meds. This would require a course in rehab, however, the prison like conditions would reinforce Billy's well founded paranoia of confinement and people. An initial period in a secure open environment was needed, such as a safe, relaxing but interesting holiday venue; in short Yellowstone rather than Disneyland.

Billy also needed associate with people that he could trust. But Billy had no associates or family that he could trust. Even though Billy could square things with Cousin Shaun and Aunt Gladys and become the accepted Black Sheep of the family, Billy did not want to put them in danger and both would blab out of force of habit. The only one he could trust was Maddy, but she was getting married.

However, the shrink thought that seeing Maddy would be a very good idea. Billy should see Maddy for an unofficial consultation and tell her everything, no more secrets. The shrink phoned Maddy to make an immediate "unofficial" appointment because Billy's circumstances had changed. As it happened, Maddy was still in her office.


	4. Chapter 4

Maddy was quite incredulous. A bedraggled Billy arriving for an unofficial after hours consultation, and then revealing that he had been an undercover cop and was now in hiding. Well Maddy had always known that Billy was good at heart despite his violent record, a record that had clearly been fabricated at some personal expense to Billy. Billy would need a lot of tender loving care.

Maddy told Billy to go on holiday, and when he was back to see her again and come to dinner regularly. She could easily square this with her fiancée as he was a fellow cop and this was therapy. In fact Billy should visit tonight. And keeping in touch with Billy would eventually allow Maddy to deal with her pregnancy issue. Colin might realise that the dates were not right, and anyway if he loved her what did it matter if Billy was the Father. It might be more of a problem for Billy.

In the meantime Costello had been contacted by Barrigan. Costello, still enraged, again wanted revenge. Barrigan prevaricated for much the same reasons that Sullivan had stated, and not stated. Anyway, Barrigan had far less to lose if Costello threatened him and Costello knew it.


	5. Chapter 5

The "Dinner" worked out ok. Sullivan was relieved that Billy was reticent and did not want to discuss work; holiday destinations were of more interest to Billy. Billy was happy to settle for comfortable conversation. Maddy was relieved that everything went well. Billy left to find a room for the night while Sullivan decided that this was not something to tell Costello about. Costello had made threatening impositions on Sullivan's private life and he did not want anything happening to Billy that might be connected with him; Billy was all washed up and no threat, while Queenan's death had cost Sullivan serious credibility with Ellerby.

Sullivan would have been more concerned if he had known that Billy had also been playing possum. During the interviews with the Staff Sergeant and then Captain Ellerby, Billy had learned of the police tail and about who and why. The idea that Queenan had been a mole was stupid to the point of idiocy, so much so that by comparison the idea that Costello (or his mole) had been the source of the rumour looked proven. Unless Sullivan was the mole. This meant that Sullivan was cunning, intelligent, willing to take high risks, and able to lie with ease. Had Sullivan used the phone to try to trap Billy or just to terminate the assignment? Billy intended to sleep on the matter, while keeping his gun under his pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Billy went to a travel agent. Eventually Billy selected a resort offering cheaper stay options in the US dependency of Puerto Rico. It was far away, tropical and different from the urban environment that Billy had grown up in. Being paranoid with good reason, Billy selected a resort where he could get a decent hotel room, this would be more secure that some chalet or low-grade hotel. As a precaution Billy did not book a room in advance. Needing some holiday gear, Billy bought a suitcase, new casuals, some scuba diving equipment, and a wing collar dress shirt with evening vest and pants with white tuxedo. The tuxedo would help him live the high life, rather like James Bond in the movies. Because Billy had also bought a black Spencer Jacket, he could attempt to disguise himself as a waiter or, if he wanted to, move around the resort incognito.

That evening Billy rechecked his house and then asked the local cops to keep an eye on the house while he was away. Next Billy returned to the SIU and changed the password on his personnel file. Billy's password was no longer secret and he didn't want anyone tampering with the contents. Also, if Dignam came checking it would give him a nasty surprise. Then Billy drove to the airport. Securing his car, Billy took the first available flight that would eventually connect with a flight to Puerto Rico.


	7. Chapter 7

Over the next two weeks, Billy enjoyed swimming on the reef and walking in the woods with the abundant wild life and iguanas or whatever the yard long half tame lizards were.

In the evening, Billy quite enjoyed wearing the tuxedo around the hotel, as well as imitating a waiter around the grounds during the day. For once this was being in disguise for fun. The management soon noticed Billy's antics but he told them that he was an actor getting acting practice for auditioning in a spy movie. Billy even helped wait at table in the upper class section of the hotel. After a week, Billy began to come of his sleep meds.

During the evening, Billy watched TV just for leisure, something he'd not done since he was a kid. There were Bond movies to see, often set on tropical islands. There were also lots of gadgets used for spying and surveillance, and that began to give Billy ideas ...

In the meantime, Costello was fuming. Non of Costello's contacts claimed to know where Billy was, and that included Sullivan, who told Costello that Billy had been told to go on holiday, destination unknown.

When the two weeks were up, Billy returned to Boston. After discreetly checking out his house, Billy drove over to Providence as it was away from Costello's and Sullivan's direct influence, and checked into rehab. After a week in rehab, Billy discharged himself and went shopping for binoculars and various electronic goodies, before checking into the shrink again.


	8. Chapter 8

So far four weeks had passed since Billy had been reinstated. By the time Billy checked back into the SIU, Dignam had been back at work over two weeks and had quite forgotten about Billy. If Billy didn't phone him, Dignam wasn't going to lose sleep over it. Indeed, if asked Dignam would have assumed that Billy was dead.

Billy made a point of checking in with Maddy again, and getting invited to dinner. On the surface, Billy just wanted to talk about his holiday, while not mentioning about enjoying his role as a waiter, and get information from Sullivan about what the various SIU sections did. On the face of it, because of his unsettled state of mind, Billy initially wanted work that would not be too demanding and not require a close partnership, at least that's what he wanted Sullivan to swallow.

In fact as Billy was also below Ellerby's radar, Billy easily got assigned to do low grade investigative plod work which involved a lot of time away from SIU. Billy needed to investigate Sullivan in private, and not to be involved in after hours work if at all possible. The work also meant that Billy should be able to avoid contact with Sullivan for now. Billy did see Maddy whenever he visited his shrink, and he told Maddy that he was doing quiet routine police work. In fact, Billy told his shrink more of the truth than he could tell Maddy.

Billy learned that Ellerby considered Sullivan to be the best thing since sliced bread and nothing could be said against teachers pet, hence resulting in Dignam's sick leave. Billy managed to get some information on Sullivan's background and SIU career, but unfortunately nothing detailed about Sullivan's cases. However, Sullivan rising to Staff Sergeant in little more that a year convinced Billy of Sullivan's guilt. Costello sold information to the FBI, so why not to his mole; it would have been an investment. Sullivan's background was interesting. Sullivan came from Southey, Costello's home territory. Had they been in regular contact, been neighbours even? Getting Costello's records posed Billy little problem.

Over the next month Billy, with the aid of a wig, a close shave and a new car, made enquiries in Southey. Billy posed as a relative and tried to get to know about Sullivan's family from neighbours. Nothing proved of interest until Billy talked to a retired shopkeeper, who let slip that Sullivan was going to be a bad ass kid given who he associated with. When pressed the man grew fearful so Billy revealed that he was a cop. After he had promised to keep quiet about the man's identity, Billy "extracted" the full story. Costello appeared to have been making friends with Sullivan and offering him work. Maybe Costello was Fagin and Sullivan was Oliver Twist, as well as a prospective new Artful Dodger.

Further enquiries lead Billy close to Costello's older base of operations, about which some people remembered a number of kids working as runners. The list of names included Sullivan and Barrigan, though they appeared to have attended in different circumstances. Sullivan attended on some days during the week while Barrigan only worked nights. Bingo. So Costello had been grooming future Police Cadets.


	9. Chapter 9

But Billy needed more than rumours to bag Sullivan and Barrigan. That is why Billy had bought surveillance equipment. During a late night, when Costello's bar was closed, Billy visited and broke in using lock picks he had bought by mail order. Temporarily disabling the alarms and cameras, Billy was able to secrete three high amplification but low range microphones around the room where Costello did most of his addresses to the gang. Outside, on the roof, Billy hid a relay consisting of three cell phones powered by a car battery. The indoor mike's batteries would last about a month while the outdoor relay would last about six months.

Next day, during the early evening when Billy could hear that the gang was discussing business, Billy visited the yard near the bar were Costello kept the cars. Avoiding the security system and scaling the fence with a climbing aid, Billy visited each of the six cars. The gang only used two to four cars on a job, the others were spare. However, Billy needed to bug all six. The best place for a microphone and it's two mile radius transmitter was in the seat next to the driver where Costello would sit. Each six month battery set had to go beneath the seat, but was unlikely to be found. Putting the whole lot within the door would have been safer, but risked too much road noise and would have taken too long to fit as the yard was occasionally checked by a guard from the bar.

Then all Billy had to do was sit back and wait. The bar room reception was not brilliant, but Billy was able to work out on which nights Costello was marshalling the gang for a raid and moved into position using one of the two cars that he planned to use for tailing Costello. Billy planed to phone Ellerby anonymously with two types of useful information : where Costello was going once the pickup had started and if Costello was evading a tail. Billy would tell Ellerby to act as if the information came from an informer within Costello's gang, or at least try to. Billy acting as anonymous surveillance was the only way to get round the Costello's moles in the SIU.


	10. Chapter 10

Meanwhile Dignum had been given reason to become concerned about Billy. Questions had been raised about the SIU's operations against Costello so the undercover files had finally been reopened. Was there an undercover in place against Costello or not? Dignum knew about Billy as an undercover, but not about Billy as an active cop because the files had not be kept synchronised. Dignum had to tell Ellerby that their Costello undercover had not reported in for a month and might have been "removed" when Queenan was killed. Dignum attempted to open Billy's personal file, but was locked out as Billy had altered the password. That really gave Dignum a headache.

Then Ellerby started getting anonymous information on Costello's operations, and looked to Dignum for answers. Answers that Dignum didn't have. Dignum checked out Billy's house, but only learned that Billy had not been seen for at least a month. The local cops told Dignum that Billy had asked them to mind the house, but as they didn't know that Billy was now a cop Dignum was left baffled and wondering if Billy had jumped ship and was in hiding or had been sent away by Costello. Or was Ellerby's mysterious contact Billy? Of cause Sullivan knew that Billy was on active duty and enjoyed Dignam's discomfiture, never hesitating to rub salt in whenever Ellerby gouged Dignam.

Dignum only learned the truth at a monthly staff meeting where staff performance was being discussed. Dignum had to hide his shock when he heard about a certain recent recruit called Costigan who was not pulling his weight, slacking during the day and avoiding night duty. Dignum checked in the rosters and soon found Billy. Dignum was enraged. However on reflection, Dignum knew perfectly well that Billy should be performing a lot better than this. What was that worthless punk up to!

Dignum asked around Billy's section but Billy was never in and Dignum did not wan to cause a fuss, yet. Dignum had to wait until that section's weekly group meeting was over, and then pounced.

Grabbing Billy, Dignum frog marched him into a quiet alcove where Dignum demanded answers in his most physically and verbally violent, and insulting, manner. Billy had expected this moment and retaliated by telling Dignum that he knew who Costello's moles were, but getting evidence that would stick was another matter. Billy then bluntly pointed out that he had achieved more in one month than the SIU had done in six months. Billy then said that this was hardly the place for a private conversation. Dignam told Billy to meet him downstairs in the records basement.


	11. Chapter 11

The next night saw Billy in his car, joined by two cops who Dignam had selected on the basis of competence and ethnicity. Of East European origin, they were unlikely to have fallen into Costello's net. One was the senior, though under orders to defer to Billy's undercover experience and recognise that this was Billy's scheme. They also brought some recording equipment. Dignam accepted that Billy's crazy scheme might work, but wanted to make sure that there was enough cover, with at least two people on duty each night. Billy would also get his equipment and car expenses paid. Communication was to be with both Dignum and Ellerby, who had been given a dedicated phone and a limited explanation, which did not involve explaining about Sullivan, Billy or the use of bugging. With luck it would keep Costello, and Sullivan, off-balance, thinking that there was another informer somewhere.

Despite Billy's improved surveillance over the next week, Sullivan was able to allow Costello to escape since Costello had also set up strategies to deal with multiple tails. In fact often only Billy's car was left tailing Costello. However, it did take a toll on Costello's temper and his relations with Sullivan, so much that during the second week, Costello actually threatened Sullivan by name. This in-car phone conversation had been recorded, and while the voice quality was poor, it should serve to break Sullivan's hold on Ellerby. It was also a relief to Billy, who was now getting worried that Costello might guess that a (Billy's) unofficial tail might exist. Now some real surveillance measures could be employed.

The next day Dignam took the recording to Ellerby. Dignum said nothing about what had happened when he phoned Billy and told him to keep up the good work. Coming from Dignum that was praise. Dignum told Billy that the entire team should meet that afternoon in the Documents Store.

The shortish meeting also included of Billy's section head, to whom Dignam explained Billy's performance issues, and several people from Surveillance, who were left in the dark about what Billy's team was really up to. The problem was two fold : stop Sullivan from warning Costello and get evidence of Sullivan's and Barrigan's complicity. What was needed were phone tap's. Taping the desk phones used by Sullivan and Barrigan was not a problem, keeping the operation secure was. The real problem was getting access to their mobile phone sim cards. Surveillance suggested bugging Sullivan's and Barrigan's offices, it could be done when setting up the phone taps. Regarding Sullivan's sim cards, Billy was able to suggest a possible method, a night out with Maddy and Sullivan.


	12. Chapter 12

The next day, Billy had to be a little creative, but he managed to convince Maddy that he needed some decent after hour's company (which was true, except that Billy had been getting no after hour's company at all). Billy took some quality booze, and successfully managed to get Sullivan more of guard than he should have been. While Sullivan was at the toilet, Billy was able to take the risky opportunity to raid Sullivan's jacket and clone both his spare and his active sim cards using the device hidden in the bag of booze.

The next morning, trusted people in Surveillance cloned the cards again. Now both Surveillance and Billy's team could tap Sulivan's calls. One night the week after, during another difficult case of avoiding multiple tails, Costello and Sullivan gave them a breakthrough; the spare sim card did indeed have a number for Costello's phone, which tied in with some odd text messages and calls that Sullivan had made to his 'dad'; Sullivan's parents had left him in his grandmother's care a long time ago.

It was all over a few nights later. Billy had been able to suggest several possible pickup sites that Costello might be heading for, thus allowing for more effective tails to be set up. Dignam then caught Sullivan red-handed while texting Costello, and without Sullivan's aid, Costello blundered straight into an ambush. The next day Costello attempted to make a deal, but was told that Sullivan had already been arrested so if he wanted to deal he would need to supply the names of his other police informants, Barrigan being specifically mentioned. The day after, Costello's laywer drew up a deal which included shopping Sullivan, as well as Barrigan and several cops not in the SIU who were all duly arrested.

Billy finally had the satisfying job of comforting Maddy after she visited the SIU. She told him that she would have to move out of the plush apartment because of the cost. Billy offered to help out by letting her stay at his place, and was then told that his place would have to be large enough for Billy Costigan III of four months time. Now Billy could really rub salt into Sullivan's wounds.


End file.
